Bad boy Rory Kennedy was raised in foster care, bouncing in and out of trouble along the way. He finds his true family and real brothers as a Navy SEAL, one of the Navy’s elite warriors. When his BUD/S instructor barked the SEAL’s Motto: Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, he knew he had found home. Megan Palmer works in a bookstore and finds her passion in life through reading steamy romance novels. Her brief affair with a man she later found out was married has left her damaged, until she meets the handsome SEAL, who stands ready to open her world and give her things she’s only dreamed. On a skiing trip, Rory suffers a possible career-ending injury and also comes face to face with a past he never knew of, and a family who had abandoned him. His relationship with Megan is tested to the breaking point as Rory wades through the dark waters of recovery and whether or not he can live without the life he loves. A home-grown terrorist cell forces his hand and he discovers his true purpose.
Sealing and Insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient—and you can do it yourself. Use This Guide To: Learn how to find and seal hidden attic and basement air leaks Determine if your attic insulation is adequate, and learn how to add more Make sure your improvements are done safely Reduce energy bills and help protect the environment Glossary of terms is included in this illustrated do-it-yourself guide.
This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.
Are rooms of your house uncomfortable or unusable at different times of the year? Is your home drafty in winter? Do you get hit with a wave of heat walking upstairs in summer? Are mold or pests frequent problems in your home? Do you get big icicles in winter? Do you suspect your home is making you sick? Do you sleep better out of your house? Do you have a damp, dank basement? How about air quality problems like dust or odors? Are you ready to solve those problems? Then this book is for you.Before you can solve a problem, you need to understand what is causing the problem. This book explains how your home actually works so you can address root causes, not symptoms. We've seen far too many folks waste thousands of dollars addressing the wrong problem. Armed with this book, you can find the right pros to solve problems, understand if the work was done right, and even DIY many things yourself.This is the book I wish I had when I entered the Home Performance eld. It connects theory to action and shows real world examples of work being done and the results achieved. It assumes you're a building science novice as well as smart and willing to learn.You'll learn about how your home works, what to look for in a new heating and cooling (HVAC) system, what kinds of insulation work best and why, how to choose and install the right bath fan, and more. Everything in this book is backed up by field experience, data, and an overwhelming passion to do things right the first time.
Are You Overwhelmed by "Going Green?" You read the news about worsening air and water pollution, climate change, droughts and diminishing natural resources, and you worry if your family will have a healthy future. The problem seems so big and overwhelming. What can you do? Why bother? You have the power and it starts right at home. Change starts with each of us, right where we each live. By making a series of small, doable changes, in aggregate, you will make a big difference--in your budget, and in the world. Are You Ready to Make A Difference? In this book, top eco-blogger Dawn Gifford shares her extensive research into why today's environmental problems exist. She gives you all the facts and data you need to understand the issues, then shares simple, succinct actions that you can easily implement right away. You can start saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year, be empowered to greater self-sufficiency, reduce your carbon, water, energy and consumption footprints and have a tangible sense that you ARE making that difference. What are You Waiting For? Discover how to save up to $200 a year simply by lowering your thermostat to this setting. (Chapter 8) Learn how to save 7,500 gallons of water and $140 in electricity costs every year, just by installing these inexpensive plumbing items. (Chapter 12) Get your home or business electricity from solar for less than the cost of your current utility bill--and lock in those prices for years to come. (Chapter 11) Follow these steps to buy all your organic produce and pasture-raised meat, dairy and eggs at wholesale cost (Chapter 21) Sustainability Starts at Home will show you how to do all of this, plus give you hundreds more inspiring tips that will save you thousands of dollars a year--simply by making adjustments to how you maintain your home and make your day-to-day purchases. This book pays for itself (and then some) with the first tip you implement! You Can Change the World, One Little Step at a Time If you are here on this page, you are most likely deeply concerned about the state of the world, and you worry about where we are headed if we keep doing things the same old way we always have been. And, you care a lot about this beautiful earth and your family's future. You feel passionate about making a difference. But it can often be challenging to know where to start. And if you've already started and gotten comfortable with things like composting or making your own non-toxic housecleaning solutions, you might want to know how to take your passion for green living and self-sufficiency to the next level. This book has just what you need! Sustainability Starts at Home has 338 pages of ideas, tips, facts and inspiration to help you live a simpler, more sustainable and frugal life--no matter what level of knowledge you are starting from. You CAN do it, and every little effort does make a difference!
A comprehensive guide to home preserving and canning in small batches provides seasonally arranged recipes for 100 jellies, spreads, salsas and more while explaining the benefits of minimizing dependence on processed, store-bought preserves.
John Burbidge has aimed his brush, roller, and spray gun at everything from ritzy mansions to trashy trailers. He's gone underground to paint sewage-treatment plants and risked death to paint factory ceilings. He has no doubt inhaled enough noxious dust and paint fumes to shorten his life. But he's not dead yet. And the captivating characters he has encountered along the way have more than offset the toils of painting for a living. Ex-cons, addicts, drifting college grads, even a guy with a hole in his head-that's your typical paint crew, bonded only by the fact that they're caught in a job society thinks is for simpletons. In Watching Paint Dry, John Burbidge scrapes beneath the surface of painting's reputation for monotony while intimately portraying the men and women who craft the backdrop to our civilization. "Informative, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking . . . this is a book you will want to recommend to everyone you know." --Sharon Barrett, Chicago Sun-Times book critic for 28 years
Discover how to style your home for a deeper sense of comfort, with guidance from the creator of the 52 Lists journal series Fans of Moorea Seal know the style influencer and online curator for her beautiful 52 Lists journals and planners, and they love her rustic luxe aesthetic: inspired boho loveliness, dashes of inspiration, plus a twist of the adventuresome spirit of the Northwest. Now Moorea has created a home design book that’s equal parts self-help guide, memoir, and décor inspiration! She’ll help you explore what it means to create a relaxed, comfortable home, and you’ll find which expression feels most authentic to you through color palates, interior design modes, conversation prompts, essays, approachable DIY projects and more. Focusing in turn on one room at a time, various chapters will help you take on the living room, the dining room, bedrooms, and of course, the kitchen. Included for each room: · A personal essay penned by Moorea herself · An exclusive look into Moorea’s own spaces with tips for inspired, mindful living · Two beginner-friendly DIY projects to personalize and decorate your home on a budget · Intimate looks into the homes of a diverse set of female style curators, who share their best tips and tricks for comfortable, imaginative decor You don't need lots of money or the perfect life in order to infuse your space with your signature spark.
Breastfeeding. The mere mention of it has many mothers wracked with anxiety (how will I manage with work, other kids, what if I don't make enough milk?) or guilt about not doing it (will I be hurting my child if I choose not to breastfeed? what will people think of me if I choose not to?). This hot-button issue is one we've talked about repeatedly in the media and in celebrity culture. Remember when Angelina Jolie posed for the cover of W nursing her newborn? Oh, the controversy! And when Barbara Walters complained about the woman breastfeeding next to her on a plane? She was forced to issue a public apology. Or what about when supermodel Gisele Bunchen declared that there should be worldwide law that mothers be required to breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life? All hell broke loose. This topic gets people riled up, and there has never been a narrative account that explores the breastfeeding big picture for parents and their children in today's world. THE BIG LETDOWN by author, journalist, and breastfeeding advocate Kimberly Seals Allers will change that for the better and open up a candid conversation about the cultural, sociological, and economic forces that shape the breastfeeding culture and how it undermines women in the process.
